The Dragon and the Alchemist
by alexise-z
Summary: Narcissa Malfoy’s last will stated quite clearly that Draco Malfoy’s guardianship would pass directly to his Aunt Izumi Curtis, an Alchemist living in Dublith. Crossover with FullMetal Alchemist, during HBP. Harry & Draco, Ed & Envy slash.
1. Chapter 1

Author: Alexise-Z

Story Title: The Dragon and the Alchemist

Summary: Narcissa Malfoy's last will stated quite clearly that should anything happen to both her and Lucius, Draco Malfoy's guardianship would pass directly to his Aunt Izumi Curtis, an Alchemist living in Dublith. Crossover with Full Metal Alchemist, set during HBP.

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Envy/Ed, Al/Winry, Ron/Hermione

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

**The Dragon and the Alchemist**

Part One:

The body count was unusually high – thirteen murders in Muggle London, twelve found dead in Diagon Alley and yet, all was quiet in Malfoy Manor.

Since Malfoy Senior had been locked away in Azkaban, his wife had become passive and silent. Narcissa Malfoy slept at nine o'clock and made it a habit to wake up at ungodly hours in the morning. While her son dreamed, she shuffled through Lucius' affairs with delicate fingers, careful enough to wear protective gloves that repelled some of the most known jinxes and curses her husband used. Sure enough, after she touched the first object, she felt her hands prickle and shake before they stopped moving altogether.

She scoffed lightly when she failed to find anything interesting in his drawers. _Dear Lucius, _she thought ironically_, there must be something you've been planning during all these years. Surely you wouldn't risk so much if you were empty-handed?_

Meanwhile, her son rubbed his eyes groggily, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep from his pale face. He trudged off to the bathroom and took a quick shower, anxious for something to fill his aching stomach. His footsteps clanked noisily as he walked down the stairs, avoiding some working house-elves who were bustling around the hall.

'Mother?' Draco called. He was only faintly surprised to see that she was not in the kitchen – nowadays, she rarely left her room. He frowned when he saw the door of his father's old office slightly ajar.

Narcissa gave a panicked gasp and ducked quickly beneath the desk. Why was her son up so early? She elbowed a stack of papers hastily – Who would put business papers beneath a desk, anyways? – and prayed that her son had better sense than to enter her husband's office.

Draco hesitated, before reaching out for the handle. He almost let go of it immediately – the door in itself was pulsing with Dark Magic. He closed it cautiously, muttering about stupid servants and their curious hands. 'I hope one of them got stunned, if they went through Father's things,' he growled ill-naturedly and returned to the kitchen.

⌐

She breathed a sigh of relief. Draco would have wanted to know what she was doing in his Father's study and she was in no condition to answer his probing questions. She grabbed the papers and attempted to straighten them out, but her eyes were drawn to a particular sheet. It was mostly blank, but what made her pause was the date scribbled on the right corner of the page. It was dated just a few days before Lucius participated in the ministry disaster that led to his imprisonment.

Should anything impair my bond or service to my Lord and Master, my son, Draco Lucius Malfoy, will take my place in His inner circle, serving the Malfoy name with as much dignity as his predecessors have done. As of today I, Lucius Abraxias Malfoy, give my son and heir to the Dark Lord. May he do with him what he will.

Narcissa read the short text with growing horror. Her only child, her baby boy! Lucius intended to give him to the person the wizarding world feared the most and make him his tool. She sprinted out of the room, not caring if Draco had heard her slam the door and rushed down the basement, intent on finding her sister – Bellatrix Lestrange had stationed herself in the basement of Malfoy Manor as soon as she had been freed, along with her husband.

'Bella!' She shouted, her eyes scanning the dark space sharply. Rudolph was nowhere to be found.

'What is it, Cissy?' Her sister replied lazily. She was seated in a luxurious armchair, looking at Narcissa through heavy-lidded eyes.

'Did you know? Tell me you didn't know what the Dark Lord has planned for Draco. Tell me!' Her eyes were wild and incredulous and her hands grasped the other's sleeves in agitation.

'You should feel honoured.' Bellatrix stated calmly, slapping her hands away from her robe. 'If I had a son, I would have gladly given him to our Master.'

Narcissa blinked slowly and collapsed on top of the makeshift bed beside her sister. 'What… exactly is Draco supposed to do?'

'Snape is supposed to inform you both in a week.' She said in disgust. 'Snape… that filthy little traitor. I'd rather you hear the good news from me than from that poisonous snake… Well, you wanted to know, didn't you? Draco is to kill Dumbledore during his school year.'

'He is only sixteen! Surely there are more competent wizards that could do it?'

'I offered to do it myself, but the Dark Lord insisted that it was to be his initiation test.' She shrugged. 'I would be happy to instruct him though, should he need–'

'This is madness. It's simply a way to punish my son for his father's mistakes.' The blond woman stated, desperation in her voice. 'I cannot let my son fall down that path. I will ask Severus for his help.' She eyes her sister coldly, before apparating near Spinner's End.

Bellatrix cursed loudly, before she apparated near Snape's house as well with a loud _pop_. 'Wait!' She took out her wand and green light illuminated the deserted area. A fox fell to the ground, dead. 'Just a fox. I thought perhaps an Auror – Cissy, wait! Cissy – Narcissa – listen to me –' She tried to grasp her arm, but this time, it was her sister who wrenched it away from her grip.

'Go back, Bella!'

'You must listen to me!'

'I've listened already. I've made my decision. Leave me alone!'

They approached the Potion Master's house and Bella snorted in contempt. 'He lives here? _Here?_ In this Muggle dunghill? We must be the first of our kind ever to set foot – Cissy, _wait!_'

Their cloaks streamed behind them as they hurried along the dusty path. one of them rushed forward anxiously, ignoring the other's cries.

'Cissy, you must not do this, you can't trust him–'

'The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn't he?' Narcissa spat out bitterly. She was not going to condemn her son to the life her husband had. Severus would help her, she knew he would. After all, he was an old family friend and the Malfoy's gave him a home when he had none.

'The Dark Lord is… I believe… mistaken. In any case, I shouldn't have told you beforehand. If I had known you would do something so drastic…' Bellatrix panted, holding onto her once more.

'Draco is my son. _My_ son. I… we… have the right to know that my fool of a husband has sold my son without my consent to the Dark Lord.' She whirled around and pointed her wand to Bella's throat.

'Cissy, your own sister? You wouldn't–'

'There is nothing I wouldn't do any more!' She breathed, a note of hysteria in her voice.

'You dare go against our Lord's orders?' Bellatrix screeched. Both were nose-to-nose, madness glinting in their eyes. 'Then you leave me no choice.'

'What…?' Narcissa's eyes widened as her sister laughed hollowly in front of her. 'Bella–'

'Don't worry.' She bared her teeth ruthlessly, like an animal. 'I will always remember you as you were, before your treason. Avada Kedavra!' She yelled, striking her sister with the killing curse, while a dark figure watched on.

Severus Snape bowed his head. Lord Voldemort would not be pleased.

The final body count -thirteen murders in Muggle London, twelve found dead in Diagon Alley and one deceased body dumped unceremoniously on the doorstep of Malfoy Manor.

End of Part One

Some situations were taken from the book Harry potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Here's a preview of Part 2:

'_I'm terribly sorry it has come to this.' Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts said gravely, crossing his fingers slowly. He looked gravely at the blond Malfoy heir, who sat across him, with Professor Snape by his side. _

_Draco Malfoy just glared at him balefully, hatred clear in his grey bloodshot eyes. 'Liar.' He snarled, standing up. However, a hand secured itself on his shoulder and pushed him down, until he fell onto the chair with a soft exclamation of annoyance. Snape shook his head disapprovingly at him, coal eyes narrowing and daring him to try that again._

'_I understand you are angry – of course, you have every right to be. I am very saddened that Mrs. Malfoy has passed away…'_

_(…)_

'_Izumi? I have never met such person.' Draco sneered. 'She must be a squib – no wonder she was exiled.'_

_(…)_

'_So, you're trying to tell me that wizards exist? That you have people wandering around with pointy hats and flying broomsticks?' Said Ed sarcastically. Before the others could reply, a muffled gasp was heard._

Alexise


	2. Chapter 2

Author: Alexise-Z

Story Title: The Dragon and The Alchemist

Summary: Narcissa Malfoy's last will stated quite clearly that should anything happen to both her and Lucius, Draco Malfoy's guardianship would pass directly to his Aunt Izumi Curtis, an Alchemist living in Dublith.

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Envy/Ed, Al/Winry, Ron/Hermione

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

**The Dragon and the Alchemist**

Part Two:

'_I'm terribly sorry it has come to this.' Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts said gravely, while crossing his fingers. He looked gravely at the blond Malfoy heir, who sat across him, with Professor Snape by his side. _

_Draco Malfoy just glared at him balefully, hatred clear in his grey bloodshot eyes. 'Liar.' He snarled, standing up. However, a hand secured itself on his shoulder and pushed him down, until he fell onto the chair with a soft exclamation of annoyance. Snape shook his head disapprovingly at him, coal eyes narrowing and daring him to try that again._

'_I understand you are angry – of course, you have every right to be. I am very saddened that Mrs. Malfoy has passed away. Narcissa Malfoy was one of Hogwarts' most brilliant students of her time,' he ignored the way Draco twitched in his seat when he mentioned his mother's name and plunged on. 'But… I am afraid that we have a matter we must address to before Professor Snape takes you back home. You see, being the heir of the Malfoy fortune, all of the gold in your parents account belongs to you – that is, until you turn seventeen._

_Your mother has left a last will, which we discovered just a few hours ago. She states quite clearly that should anything happen to herself or your father, your legal guardianship would go to her exiled sister, Izumi Curtis.'_

'_Izumi? I have never met such person.' Draco sneered. 'She must be a squib – no wonder she was exiled.'_

'_I assure you, Mr. Malfoy, that she is no squib. In fact, she is a fairly known alchemist, at least in Dublith. I believe she was shunned because she married a Muggle.'_

'_Figures…' He muttered unhappily. 'And you would have me stay with her and her little band of Mudblood brats?'_

_The Headmaster's eyes sharpened as the twinkle faded from his eyes. 'I will let that comment pass because I know you are upset about your mother's death.' Draco twitched again, more violently this time. 'But please refrain from using such derogative terms in my presence again.'_

_The Malfoy heir made a motion with his hand, ready to fire back an insult but Snape interrupted his tirade with a curt nod. 'As you were saying, Albus?'_

'_Ah, yes. Your belongings will be transferred to your Aunt's house in Dublith immediately and Severus has agreed to take you there right now.'_

'_What!' Draco exclaimed, in shock. 'You must be joking. I am not going to step foot in Aunt what's her name's house, much less live there.'_

'_We must respect your mother's last wishes – or will you go against them?' He said calmly, as if he knew Draco wouldn't contest him now. _

_He was right. The other clamped his mouth shut and swallowed his anger. 'No, sir.'_

'_I am sure there is a reason your mother wanted to send you to Mrs. Curtis.'_

'_Surely, –'_

'_That is final. Now, if you will…' Dumbledore gestured gently to his fireplace, giving Snape a handful of Floo Powder. _

_Draco followed him grudgingly, still fuming, and grabbed a generous amount of powder. _

_'Just say Meat House, Dublith. Oh, and Mr. Malfoy?' He turned, looking into his eyes. 'All your money is to be handed over to Mrs. Curtis.' Dumbledore lifted a hand up as Draco's mouth opened in fury. 'Do not worry; we will be monitoring your bank accounts. Alas, she will need to cover your expenses and I am sure that if you ask, she will let you buy what you want. See you next term, Mr. Malfoy. I am truly sorry.'_

_The blond refused to look at him and with a flash of green fire, he was gone._

---

That was months ago; since then, Draco Malfoy had been living with Izumi, her husband and her two ex-apprentices, Edward and Alphonse Elric. It had been hard to adapt to the Muggle way of life and even more so to the cramped little house – in fact, it wasn't a very small house, but the blond had been used to the multiple rooms and beautiful gardens of Malfoy Manor.

Despite his bitterness for being stranded in Dublith with an aunt he had never wanted, he found that Izumi seemed to hate the responsibility of taking care of an "overgrown, useless brat" more than he disliked being there.

When he had arrived, he was greeted with a rather heated reunion between Izumi and Professor Snape – the first seemed rather fond of chucking heavy objects to Snape's head while yelling furiously and the latter simply dodged them awkwardly and tried to speak until a stray chair knocked him unconscious.

Some say that first impressions are very important to determine one's personality. Draco found himself wholly agreeing with that statement. As the days wore on, he was forced to do several hideous and abnormal tasks: cleaning, cooking, washing clothes… in other words, he had to do things that he would never had thought he would do in his life – work. And not just work, but _slave_ work.

All of the inhabitants were disgustingly hard workers and Draco tried to stay away from them as much as he could. Who knew if they wouldn't infect him with the desire to help anything that moved. He also steered away from Ed, Al and a blond girl called Winry, believing them to be inferior because of their Muggle blood. When Winry first caught wind of his nasty comments, she hit him solidly in the face with a screwdriver. A_ screwdriver..._

After that, he showed a healthy amount of respect for the girl – she beat Granger's slap without even making an effort.

He learned to live with Ed and Al because he wanted to avoid being "accidentally" killed by one of them. He had seen them both training in the front yard with Izumi, aiming swift punches and roundhouse kicks with ease and he knew that if he thought Winry hit hard, then getting kicked around by either of them would feel much worse.

After a few weeks, his aunt started training him as well because she said she wouldn't be a guardian of a weak little boy who didn't know how to defend himself without the use of his wand. His training sessions usually ended with him lying flat on his back, dazed and breathless, watching Ed and Al take turns sparring with their former teacher. It wasn't that Izumi was a cruel teacher… she was patient and efficient. However, he thought she enjoyed seeing him get whacked around too much for someone who was supposed to care for his well-being.

There were times when Ed would spar with him silently, while Al would play with a stray kitten or watch their "matches", but most of the time, the two brothers were in Central City, doing random missions requested by someone called Roy Mustang. Izumi had explained to him that, although Edward was the same age as he was, he was a highly qualified State Alchemist. His aunt said that with a twisted smile, looking proud and disappointed at the same time.

'Silly boy…', she would mutter, staring at the window with a faraway expression.

On a particularly gloomy night, Draco wandered around the house, inspecting anything that caught his eye. He ended up in the attic, clutching a small leather-bound book, with a strange symbol adorning it's cover. It was battered and dirty, and when he opened it, a cloud of dust surrounded his pale figure, making him cough and splutter indignantly. He thumbed the yellow pages carefully and read the book from top to bottom, absorbing everything from faded letters to the hastily scribbled notes – was that Ed's handwriting? – on the sides of the page.

When he heard Izumi's voice call him from the kitchen, he hastily stuffed the book in his newly acquired backpack and rushed downstairs with his eyes alight with excitement. He had discovered Body Alchemy; if he could bring his mother back, then all would be back to normal. He wouldn't have to live with Muggles and he could go back to the easy comforts of Malfoy Manor.

What he didn't count on, was Izumi discovering the tattered book inside of his _personal_ space. Apparently, she had been picking up his clothes because it was laundry day (which happened every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) when she found the offending book peeking from his open satchel.

Draco had honestly never seen his aunt as mad as she was in his life.

'Ungrateful boy!' Izumi had screeched, ripping the stuffing right out of the nearest pillow that had unfortunately been close enough for her hands to grasp. 'Do you honestly think… Would doing such a thing be that easy?' Draco really thought she would slap the stuffing out of _him_ and he closed his eyes tightly. Instead, he felt himself being pulled into her warm embrace, face nestling snugly into her rather generous bosom, but he was too relieved to think much about it.

Later, he found out about Izumi's son and the attempt to bring back Ed and Al's mother. The Elric brothers explained to him about Homunculus and the life they had, including Edward's missing body parts and Al's lack of physical body with sombre voices and Draco thought that perhaps he could understand why Izumi-sensei cried at night and why Ed and Al always tried so hard. Draco decided that from thereon, he would try to improve as well – not his attitude, mind you.

It was part of him to be annoying and arrogant, but he tried to work harder and train more frequently, because he realised he didn't only want to be able to block punches, but he wanted to be respected as well. To be acknowledged by his new and dysfunctional family as Draco, and not simply another Malfoy.

His relationship with the rest of them started to slowly improve, to the point where Izumi actually agreed to do the miserable task of buying robes for him (for he had certainly grown quite a bit under Izumi and Ed's watchful eyes), while Draco took Ed, Al and Winry for a tour in Diagon Alley, just a few days before September first.

---

Harry, Ron and Hermione entered Madam Malkin's seemingly empty shop when they heard a woman's voice coming from behind a rack of green and blue dress robes.

'What do you mean you have to measure the boy?'

'Well, I can hardly make the necessary adjustments without knowing who is going to wear the robes.

They saw Madam Malkin bustling around busily around a tall, dark-haired woman, wearing a slight frown on her face – she was dressed peculiarly in white Muggle clothes and they wondered what someone like that was doing in Diagon Alley.

'I don't care about the details,' the woman growled. 'I measured him myself before leaving and I have already given you the information you need to make decent dress robes.'

'Forgive me for saying this, but young Mister Malfoy has always been one of our most difficult customers. Small details like those kept his family from going to other shops.'

Harry froze at the mention of his arch-nemsis's name.

'I don't think there is any need for such frivolous things.' She glared at Madam Malkin impatiently. 'So, will you take the order or not?'

'But, –'

'I am Draco Malfoy's legal guardian until he comes of age and if he is unhappy with his clothes, that is my problem, not yours.'

Malkin heaved a defeated sigh. 'Alright. Come by next morning and I'll have all ten robes ready.'

Harry clenched his fists tightly as the woman brushed pass him hurriedly, without glancing at his face.

'What was that all about?' Hermione asked, a confused frown on her face.

'Who knows?' Ron shrugged, trying to ignore the venomous way Harry eyed the brunette, as if she were the Dark Lord herself.

End of Part Two

* * *

I had almost lost interest in this story, but somehow the FullMetal Alchemist bug has come back to bite me in the ass and I have the Conqueror of Shambala to thank – only the subbed version, mind you. Dubbed anime just seriously freaks me out, no offence meant. I'll try updating this story more regularly, but Chem. Exams are coming up and I'll probably only update after June 27.

Well, here's a preview of the first paragraphs of Part Three:

_Edward Elric, at twelve, was a loud, hyperactive and extremely short blond alchemist, with no particular respect for authority and hauntingly shadowed golden eyes._

_Now, at sixteen, Edward was still loud, continued working for the military (though he could never really accept Roy Mustang as a respectful authority figure) and he didn't seem capable of growing any taller – damn that Colonel bastard for being almost a head taller than him._

_Ed thought he had already seen everything the world had to offer, but as he tried not to lose sight of Draco's platinum hair in the sea of pointed hats, maybe he was an ignorant child after all and equivalent change was nothing but a dwarf in Cinderella. _

_He laughed cynically. 'Yeah, right.'_

Alexise


	3. Chapter 3

Author: Alexise-Z

Story Title: The Dragon and The Alchemist 

Summary: Narcissa Malfoy's last will stated quite clearly that should anything happen to both her and Lucius, Draco Malfoy's guardianship would pass directly to his Aunt Izumi Curtis, an Alchemist living in Dublith.

Pairings: Harry/Draco, Envy/Ed, Al/Winry, Ron/Hermione

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

A/N: Anime spoilers ahead – beware. I was actually unsure whether I should base this fan fiction on the manga or on the anime. I prefer the manga storyline, but homunculus like Wrath, Sloth and Pride are the ones used in the anime. Envy and Greed, however, follow the manga storyline – read what this means **at the end of the chapter**. I don't want to **spoil** anyone who hasn't read the manga.

**Thank you** for all of the excellent reviews. Without reviews, there is no story. So please, constructive criticism is needed. **On the bottom of this page**, I've written a more detailed reply to all of your reviews. On with the story! Alexise

**The Dragon and the Alchemist**

Part Three:

'_Bella! Bella, you weren't supposed to look.'_

_Two small hands reached up and tugged on Bella's frilly sleeve with surprising force, ignoring the bustling, grim crowd with childish enthusiasm. The Blacks had organised a magnificent ball to celebrate Bella's twelfth birthday and most of the old pureblood families were present to see the official binding contract between Mr. and Mrs. Black's eldest daughter and the Lestrange's only son. The family heirs, Sirius and Regulus, were also there and much to the Blacks' chagrin, the guests seemed to be more taken with the two well-mannered boys than with dear Bella. _

_Bella, with her straight dark hair and scowling face, was thoroughly fitted in an expensive gown made out of black silk and golden threads that would have looked better on an aging lady than on girl barely past her first decade. Long gloves, lovely shoes and the ever-present family crest, sewed stiffly on her clothed left shoulder, completed her eerie ensemble. However, little Bella looked as dignified as any other twenty-year-old female, standing with her hands resting on her bulky dress in a demure fashion that seemed to satisfy the most traditionally challenged elements of the Main Family. Her face remained carefully blank, even as her youngest sister happily ran around her, tugging on her sleeves every now and then. _

'_I didn't look,' Bella replied calmly, without bowing her head. _

'_Did you peek, then?'_

'_No, I didn't peek.'_

'_Liar, liar!' The child threw her hands up in the air and chanted playfully unaware of the hostile glances she was receiving. She seemed awfully misplaced in the crowd; she possessed neither grace nor art. She simply didn't _fit_. Her dress was agonisingly simple and devoid of intricate designs – white was such a lovely colour. But on her, it looked quaint and too common for her up-bring. Next to her sisters, she held no interest. Who would want such a _normal_, carefree child, with no sense of pureblood pride? _

_The Potters, with their easy-going nature and affinity for the Light, thought Izumi was charming. But then again, the Potters weren't on best terms with the Blacks and they could be saying that just to vex them. 'She is naught but an unruly child who disobeys because she _wants_ to,' Mrs. Black would say, tilting her pretty golden head as she laughed feyly. Mrs. Potter would then reply, 'Ah, she is but six. She has a lifetime to prove herself.' 'Nay,' Mr. Black would interrupt. 'Narcissa was the same age she is two years prior and she always was such an educated daughter. Wise beyond her years, I must say.'_

_Narcissa, elegant as always, approached Izumi with a warm but reserved smile. 'Please, don't get so excited,' said she gently, in a cultured voice she had acquired from her father. 'It isn't time yet.'_

'_But Bella knows what we planned to do,' Izumi pouted, crossing her arms above her flat chest. 'She _peeked_.'_

'_What a thing to say about your sister. I am sure she did no such thing.'_

'_But, –'_

'_I overheard you talking about the present,' Bella interrupted, irritably. 'And I must say, of all the whimsical things you could have given me, this is by far the worst. Mother will never let me keep it.'_

_Izumi wasn't fazed. 'She will, if you ask her,' she said stoutly, tossing her braided hair over her shoulder. 'Mother does everything to please you. I bet that if you wanted to shave your head _bald_ and dance around _naked_ she wouldn't bat an eye.'_

_Narcissa stifled her laughter with the palm of her hand, trying to maintain a serious composure. 'I daresay that if Mother ever hears you speaking with that foul mouth, you will be the one to win an appointment with the hairdresser.'_

'_I would welcome the change.'_

'_I am sure you would,' and Narcissa didn't doubt it. _

_Bella batted away her sisters' light banter and focused her eyes on Izumi. 'What on earth possessed you to purchase a dog?'_

'_I… thought you might like something different,' said she, her happy smile fading into an unhappy frown. 'Do you dislike your gift? I can get you another one.'_

_The elder shook her head but at the moment, she was paying more attention to their father, who was leading Mrs. Black to the podium. Andromeda joined the sisters shortly after, holding a glass of water in her right hand. She greeted them distractedly, as was her usual style, and put a finger on her lips, indicating that she knew what was coming next._

'_My dear guests,' Mr. Black started grandly. 'I am pleased to announce that today, we shall all bear witness of the union of Rudolfus Lestrange and Bellatrix Black.' They began to clap politely as Bella and the awkward-looking boy stepped next to their parents, ready to sign the contract with ink and blood._

_Later that night, Izumi saw her mother cast the killing curse on the dog, while Bella watched callously by the door._

---

He thought it was a little odd; after all, it wasn't every day Harry saw a mop of green hair kneeling inside the storage room of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. At first, he had wondered what the small beanpole of a girl was doing – was she shoving fake wands down her dress? – But when she stood up, his train of thought came to an abrupt halt. He didn't quite remember her being _that_ tall. In fact, she wasn't skinny… were those muscles?

That's when Harry realised it wasn't a girl he was ogling, but a very pissed off looking male wearing black shorts, partially covered by an equally short loin-cloth, and a ridiculously tight tank-top that showed off his lean form. And he _was_ shoving merchandise down the piece of clothing he had tied around his waist. Whatever _that_ was.

'Excuse me…' Harry said, trying to get his attention. 'You aren't supposed to be in here.'

The other didn't seem bothered that he had been caught stealing – in fact, he didn't even look flustered. 'You're here,' he said dryly, while shoving his brackish hair behind his ears.

'I was invited.'

'Sure you were,' then, the male seemed to lose interest in Harry's presence and continued on with his business, ignoring him completely.

'Hey!' He protested indignantly, unconsciously bringing his hand to his wand. 'You should put that back.'

'Or what? What are you going to do, poke me in the eye with your stick?' The stranger said, sarcasm coating his sugary voice.

Harry blinked and had to suppress a shiver as a pair of unpleasant violet eyes bore into his own. The stranger threw his head back and laughed, but he failed to see the humour in the present situation.

Suddenly, Harry felt two claw-like hands gripping his forearms, pushing him towards the wall. He uttered a faint cry when his head bounced painfully on the cold surface and felt his eyes water. He tried to grasp his wand with his right hand, but as soon as the other was aware of his intentions, he kneeled Harry in the gut, driving the air right out of his lungs.

Harry slumped forward with a groan and as soon as his assailant let go of his arms, he struggled to stand properly. The boy smiled nastily, hissing a short sentence that left him completely baffled.

'Remember that we _let_ you live.'

And then he was gone, leaving Harry alone in the storage room, wondering if the stringy-haired stranger had really been there at all.

---

Lust sighed as she paced around the dark alley, waiting for her companion to arrive. Normally, she wasn't this skittish, but there was something about the wizarding world that made her uneasy. Or maybe it was just the fact that _that person_ had sent Envy instead of Gluttony along with her to scout Diagon Alley. Gluttony listened to her; Envy did as he pleased (heaven help the poor sod that stood in his way). Originally, the task had been given to Envy and Sloth, but since the situation in Central was steadily getting out of hand, Pride had requested his secretary's presence at his side.

She narrowed her eyes as Envy's lithe figure slid next to her silently. 'You're late,' she hissed. 'Tell me that you've managed to get what _that person_ wanted.'

'Of course,' came his cocky reply.

'Let's go, then.'

Envy smirked, morphing into the figure of the Full Metal Alchemist and walked ahead of Lust, who had tightened her hold around her cloak to hide her face from prying eyes. He bumped into a blond boy on his way out and sneered maliciously, heading towards the exit. He never noticed the confused glare the boy threw him before both sins disappeared into the shadowed corners of the street.

---

Edward Elric, at twelve, was a loud, hyperactive and extremely short blond alchemist, with no particular respect for authority and hauntingly shadowed golden eyes.

Now, at sixteen, Edward was still loud, continued to work in the military (though he could never really accept Roy Mustang as a respectful authority figure) and he didn't seem capable of growing any taller – damn that Colonel bastard for being a head taller than him.

Ed thought he had already seen everything the world had to offer, but as he tried not to lose sight of Draco's platinum hair in the sea of pointed hats, maybe he was an ignorant child after all and equivalent change was nothing but a dwarf in Cinderella.

He laughed cynically. 'Yeah, right.' He shook his head, trying to banish the image of Envy singing, dressed as a dwarf, from his mind and stood on his tiptoes. He saw Draco approaching him with a befuddled expression on his pale face. 'Ed? I thought I saw you pass me.'

'What?' He frowned. 'You must have mistaken me for somebody else, because I've been right here the entire time.'

Draco shrugged, still looking a bit troubled, and grabbed Ed's wrist, leading him towards Madam Malkins to meet their mentor. On their way, they passed the Quidditch supply store and both of them paused to stare at the brooms.

'Do people really fly on these things?' Ed asked dubiously. He still found it hard to believe that it was possible to fly. In his opinion, humans weren't meant to fly – if they had been, they would have been born with wings.

'What else would we do with them? Sweep the floors?'

'Well…'

'Do I look like a cleaning lady to you?' Draco growled, sarcastically. When he saw Ed smirk, he rolled his eyes. 'I left myself open for that jab, didn't I?'

They continued to stare at the display (Draco in longing and Ed in disbelief) until they felt someone breathing scarily over their shoulders. They turned around slowly, feeling a deep sense of foreboding. They were met with identical punches on their cheeks.

_Crack._

Ed went flying against the shop's large wooden doors while Draco slumped down almost immediately, clutching the swelling bruise on his face.

Izumi calmly picked up her fallen purse and glared at the two groaning boys. Most of the people that had been passing through paused in shock.

'Sensei!' Ed groaned, rubbing his sore face. 'What was that for?'

Izumi flexed her arms, making Draco and Ed shrink back against the door. 'What was that for, you ask… You two were supposed to meet me an _hour_ ago at the shop!' She boomed. 'I thought that maybe you had some trouble, so I went looking for you… and I find you staring at BROOMS?'

She hauled them up with her hands and dragged them all the way home, unmindful of their protests. By then, Diagon Alley was buzzing with curious wizards, who were discussing how the Malfoy boy had been single-handedly taken down by a strange, dark-haired woman who held a striking resemblance to the criminal Bellatrix Lestrange.

---

The first day of September arrived quicker than Draco had anticipated and yet, he felt as if a lifetime had passed since the death of his mother. Everything had changed, but as he walked past the barrier separating Platform 9 and ¾ from the rest of the train station, he felt like the old Draco Malfoy once more - the rich son of purebloods who was surprisingly innocent in the ways of the world beyond the lush gardens of Malfoy Manor.

But that illusion was soon shattered when he felt his aunt's hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently to allow Ed to pass the barrier as well. Behind Ed stood Al and Winry, who were discussing auto mail… to no one's surprise. Al looked somewhat hesitant to contradict the hotheaded mechanic while she ranted on about her favourite subject.

Draco stood next to his luggage and waved awkwardly, picking up his belongings with his roughened hands. Thanks to Izumi's intense training, he could easily lift them without magic. He entered the Hogwarts Express without looking back at his surrogate family and found an empty compartment. He was too busy putting away his suitcases that he didn't notice Ed opening the compartment door until he was pulled into a headlock.

'You aren't getting rid of me that easily, rich boy,' Ed said, mussing his hair with a wicked grin.

Draco struggled out of the headlock and glared sourly at his companion. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' He snapped, trying to comb his hair back to its original gelled wonder. 'The train is going to leave at any time now.'

'I know.'

'Then what are you still doing here?'

Ed sat down in front of him after he had secured his considerably lighter suitcase next to Draco's and pressed his hands against the window, smiling at Izumi, Al and Winry, who were waving enthusiastically. He ignored his question and pressed his face closer to the glass, feeling a deep sense of melancholy. He never went anywhere without his brother and he felt strange for leaving him behind.

Draco shut his mouth and observed the strange emotions that crossed the alchemist's face as the train started to leave the station. Then, they lapsed into a comfortable silence, until Ed turned around to face him again. 'You told me something about your first year that had me curious,' he finally said.

'What do you mean by that?'

'The Philosopher's Stone… you said it was hidden in your school.'

'Yes, but it was destroyed,' Draco said, unsure.

'It doesn't matter,' said Ed, impatiently. 'The fact that there _was_ a Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts is important. At least, it's more of a lead than what Al and I have now. So I went to Central a few days ago and requested permission to conduct another private search.'

'Does that mean that you'll be staying at Hogwarts this year?'

'Sensei managed to convince that Dumb-something of yours to accept me as a transfer student. I won't be doing any of your magic. I'll just learn the theory behind the spells and find a way to incorporate it with alchemy.'

Draco shared an amuse look with Ed. 'I wonder how Izumi managed to do that,' he paused. 'Why isn't Al with you, then?'

'It's kind of difficult to enrol a suit of armour,' Ed replied sarcastically, making Draco smirk lightly. Then, the shorter blond grabbed the Draco's last year Potion book from his backpack and started flipping through it avidly, while the taller sighed and closed his eyes and listened to Ed's quiet mumbles for a while, before he fell asleep.

End of Part Three

---

A/N: Envy and Greed follow the manga storyline (as was indicated in the beginning of the chapter), which means that Envy is not an Elric and Ed didn't kill Greed.

Having said that, I have a few more notes that I would like to share – in this fic, I've made Bella the eldest of the Black sisters, so during the flashback, Bellatrix is 12, Andromeda is 11, Narcissa is 8 and Izumi is 6. Btw, I know I said that at the end of the last chapter, the first scene would be the one with Ed, but I tweaked it a bit. Sorry.

To Reviewers:

Darklight - Thanks for the first review (I'm sorry if I didn't say this before).

Sweet July - I also love crossovers, especially involving Harry Potter, Naruto and FullMetal Alchemist. And I'd never say no to a cookie D

Angelisa McKaine - I wince every time I see DragonBall dubbed in portuguese. It really does make my ears hurt because the voices are so squeaky and strange... nice to have someone that share my opinions.

XoHieisGirloX - Thanks for the heads up, but the exam sucked big time. I'll have to do it again next year cries in despair

silvermoonphantom - Please, feel free to bite me anytime I start slacking. I really want to finish this one.

Pajaro Negro - I loved reading your review. I try not to rip off too much o J. K. Rowling's original work, even though there will be some scenes that involve the same situations of book 6. But then again, this is mostly Draco's point of view and from now on, things will take another turn (Ed's presence can do that xD).

I debated on how I would introduce Ed into the wizarding world and I really didn't want to use the usual "Ed is a Student" approach in which he gets sorted, etc etc. So I improvised. Yes, Ed will stay in Hogwarts but he won't be exactly a magic student. More of an observer, actually. Envy, however... well, I won't get ahead of myself.

I am aware that in cannon, Harry x Draco is not really possible and that Ed x Envy even less so. I'll try to make it work, though. And don't worry, things won't get too explicit. I tend to focuse more on the action than on romance. pumps up fist I'll try my best!

A huge thank you to the anon. reviewer, Priest Sanzo, SexySpoonsWillRuleUsAll, Chaney, silver windflame, Ima Super Mute Ant, GureSan007 (I've read your fic and it seems interesting, keep updating as well! D). You guys rock.

Alexise

(sorry, no preview this time)


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